Mwelaba, Uganda

My last two days were a whirlwind of activity. On Wednesday I had my final assembly with the students, and spoke to them at length about the importance of maintaining a growth mindset and the importance of the power of "yet". I then answered their questions about any and everything, including zumba! While I spent the majority of the day in the office, I had a LOT of visitors, some who just wanted to chat, some who wanted advice, and some who just wanted a selfie. I also met with one very grateful parent whose son was the beneficiary of one of the sponsorships my family and friends helped to provide.

Some of the sponsorship recipients

 After school I met with the student council and attempted to video call with our SGA back home at CHS, but the signal wouldn't allow for it. Then came my going away party.  We got started late, so while we waited for the head teacher, we had a good time dancing (or in my case attempting to dance) various dances from the different parts of Uganda. There were speeches, gifts, traditional clothing, and lots of hugs.  I made one final presentation of a sponsorship, this time for Angel Namutebi, a young S2 student at Temangalo High School that I met when I visited there with Diana.  Angel's parents refuse to pay her school fees, so she works every night until 11pm waitressing at a restaurant to pay for herself. The party would have been perfect, except something I ate made me ill and I spent all of Thursday throwing up.

                                  

                                                      
I only went to the school for a short time Thursday, in order to meet with the chairman of the Board of Governors for Kyambogo, who also happens to be the dean of the history department at Kyambogo University. We had a very good talk about the state of education in Uganda, and the changes needed if Ugandans are to be competitive in the future. After that was packing (including yet another new suitcase) and waiting for Madam Helen and Mr. Okech to pick me up for the airport.
I did not expect all of the challenges that I would face when coming here to Uganda, but I like to think that I managed them well and did the job that I was sent to do. This has absolutely been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had.  These people are proud of their country, proud of their religious beliefs, and want the best for their children like all parents do. They are SO kind, helpful and accommodating. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it anywhere. I truly want to come back one day-- sooner, rather than later. I will miss everyone here. I won't miss that traffic though!
Until the next adventure...

                                                         

                                                         

                                         

Smartness Knows No Weather

On Sunday I went to church with Maryann, who cleans the office where I am stationed at Kyambogo, and her young son Eric. Glory in Christ Ministries is a non-denominational church in a tin walled, thatched roof building down a dirt road. The people here worship with their whole beings. I am a bit more reserved as it is not the style of service I am used to, and imagine my surprise when I learn that they expect me to preach and minister to them with a "word from God". I honestly don't know what Maryann told them, but I don't preach! I introduce myself and sing a song instead, then I sit down. 

On Monday I was mostly free as there has been a mix up with me appearing on a radio program, so I decide to visit some classes to see how teachers are implementing the strategies I've been working with them on, and help them if necessary so they can practice working these into the flow of instruction. The first class I invade is a Senior 2 East African history class led by a young teacher named Stella. She is completely engaging and the students are very lively, but surprised to see me. Today's topic is about missionaries in East Africa. This is completely teacher centered lecture and Q & A. I long to make it a student centered lesson, with the students doing a concept map, then I realize that the students don't have textbooks-- only the teacher has a textbook. I ask her if we could include a 3-2-1 formative assessment at the end of the lesson, but we run out of time. Students are still writing on the board when the gong sounds. She gives them a task to write five things they want to find out about missionaries specifically in Uganda before their next lesson. I tell the students that I needed one of them to teach me about missionaries in East Africa next time because I missed half the lesson. This sets off a lot of giggling, as they don't realize that is actually a learning strategy. As she dismisses the students I tell her she should start the next class (Thursday) with an entrance ticket. 

East African History Lesson

In Madam Segawa's math class there is a large group of S2 students studying the roots of decimals. These are approximately 8th grade students -- over forty of them in one classroom. They give me a verbal welcome as I enter the class. I'm not used to seeing students wander into a classroom while instruction is ongoing. This is mostly teacher centered instruction again. She allows students to work through the problem on their own and then writes on the board as students direct her to the answer. A quick formative assessment check is done as they approach the last column-- she skipped a step in the calculation and some students can't make the connection, so she breaks it down. The students willingly volunteer to answer, usually as a whole group. They are sharing calculators because some of them don't have calculators, so it takes some of them a while to get the solutions. My young seat mate explains to me how to do the equation using his antilogarithms chart. And he does it so ELOQUENTLY! I tell him he should be at the board explaining this to the entire class. If I could put these kids in my school environment where there are materials and technology, THEY WOULD FLOURISH! The second example is harder because of a value of -1 has to be worked with. The teacher changes the -1 to a -3 and the 0 to a +2 so that she doesn't lose the value of -1, but I think some of the children are struggling because there are fewer volunteering answers. Another formative assessment should be done here to check understanding before they give the answer.

I only have a very short time in the S3 entrepreneurship class before the gong sounds. I missed most of the instruction, and am really only present for the review. The situation is entirely different in the one class I wander into after lunch. I get to the S1 class just as the religion teacher is leaving and the French lesson is due to start. The French teacher isn't there yet so I start chatting with the students after introducing myself and asking a few questions in French. When the French teacher comes he sees me standing in front talking to the students and asks me if I will handle class today because he needs to go enter his mid- term grades. I say sure and the students then start with a barrage of questions about the US, Carver High, and anything else they can think of. So technically I taught an intro French class today even though very little French was done. I did however tell them "goodbye" and "see you soon" in French as I left. 

                                                 

On Tuesday after my session with the teachers, Madam Helen and I went to appear on a radio talk show on UBC (Uganda Broadcasting Corporation), along with Mr. Milton Kambula of Global Peace Foundation. The show is broadcast throughout the country. The discussion centered on education in Uganda, and what we have been doing at KCS in introducing new assessment techniques. We also discussed what the path was going forward for education in Uganda and how to better equip students for the 21st century. We also responded to questions that were submitted via the stations Facebook page. The program went very well, and honestly we could have gone on for another hour. 

Whispers of the Wild

Rain on my face and wind in my hair. That describes most of my time with East African Safaris at Lake Mburo National Park Saturday. Lake Mburo is a game park that encompasses ___ square kilometers. My journey started at 6:45 am since it’s a four hour drive to the National Park. And we made a stop at the equator for a photo op along the way. I wasn’t in the open air jeep that I always imagined on safari, but rather a van with a top that pops up about two feet, allowing occupants to stand up. A lot safer than being in an open air jeep if there are predators around. 

Almost as soon as we turned into the park I saw antelope and zebras. The antelope moved too fast for me to get a good picture, but the herd of zebras was very accommodating. It’s the rainy season, but even so I was enjoying the rain on my face and the wind in my hair while standing up and taking pictures— that is, until the top fell down onto my head and knocked me down into my seat. The road is very bumpy and apparently I was holding onto the wrong bar for support. After a stop to secure the top we continued on, even going off road briefly when we found the way blocked. The actual park entrance is about 8 kilometers down the road. You’re not allowed to exit your vehicle when you get into the park and you’re not allowed to drive across the savanna. There are actually some scattered residents in the park, just as there were some residents living on small islands on the Nile River. I saw so many zebras my dreams will have stripes tonight. I also saw huge herds of antelope, families of baboons, warthogs, water bucks, monkeys, Ankole cattle, and buffalo. 

My guide says that the animals here fee very secure because there are no predators. There are some leopards in the park, but they are nocturnal. He says there is only one lion, which is also nocturnal. Apparently there used to be more but the locals killed them, I guess because the lions were destroying their livestock. There is a restaurant by the lake and that is where we had lunch. The restaurant has a thatched roof and is painted to look like the zebras which are so plentiful here, and inside there are wonderful wood carvings of some of the native wildlife. There is also a souvenir shop, which is my crack.

I had only taken two bites of my lunch when my guide came up to say that the boat was getting ready to leave. Apparently part of my fee included a two hour cruise on Lake Mburo on a bright green ferry boat named the Impala. So I packed up my veggies, rice, and wine and off I went. I was joined on the cruise by a charming and lively group of primary school children-- including my young seat mate. (Who did crack a smile AFTER I took his picture!) The captain tells us that the lake is 10 square kilometers and 8 meters deep. We immediately see a large school of hippos. The captain is a fountain of information on hippos. They can stay under water up to 15 minutes. And they stay in water during the day and come on land at night to graze. Their poop is food for the fish!


Shortly after starting we circled back to pick up an English couple who join us. They happen to be Caucasian, and it’s clear the children have never seen a white person before, because the couple immediately become more interesting than the boat, the water, or the animals! Eventually the children did start watching the shore again— long enough to notice a couple of monkeys and a young crocodile that the captain pointed out.

                                                           
On our way out of the safari park I finally saw my long awaited giraffes!

Cooking in the Classroom and Cooking in the Kitchen

This week was the 2nd round of sessions with the teachers at KCS, this time focusing on summative assessment. The sessions went very well, and the teachers were enthusiastic.  Summative assessment is a more familiar concept to them than formative assessment.  Designing projects and rubrics for assessment and using essays as summative assessment was a new concept to to them, but they were open and receptive to every technique I brought to them this week. Listening to their ideas about what they wanted to try in their classes let me know that I have accomplished at least one of my objectives here.

                                                          

                                                              
This week I've really had the pleasure of getting to know a lot of students at KCS. I don't know if they were intimidated by me or just maintaining their distance the way they normally do with teachers, but for the first two and a half weeks they were VERY hesitant to approach me or talk to me.  But now I am getting to know these wonderful, spirited, engaging, inquisitive young people, who want me to be part of all their activities. I've been blessed with wonderful family and friends who have contributed to sponsoring two deserving students here, and I wish I could do more.

Subhan and Ahmed

Henry, Rogers, John Lister, Pius, Richmond

Barham

Tracy (who doesn't like to have her picture taken)

Today I had an African cooking lesson at Madam Christine's house.  We were joined by Diana and Christine's niece and nephew, Precious and Moris. I helped to cook Karo, a type of porridge made from millet and cassava flour; matooke, the traditional Ugandan banana dish that is cooked in banana leaves; and chapati, an herbed flatbread.

                                                                                      
                       

One of the things I love about this staff is their commitment to their health: they work out three times a week after school.  Today I led them in a mini Strong by Zumba session before Alan, the regular trainer who is a rugby player, took over.  And, boy did the sweat fly!

The Weekend that Was

This weekend was LOADED with activities! Yiga picked me up at 11:30 on Saturday and we set off for the Uganda National Museum.  The museum isn't the largest I've ever been in but it was a fascinating walk through Ugandan history. My tour guide was both knowledgeable and patient with my numerous questions. Exhibits covering ancient methods of hunting, farming, architecture, clothing, politics, crafts, recreation and other topics line the walls.

There is currently a special exhibit on Idi Amin, who I was surprised to learn many Ugandans do not view unfavorably.  My picture of him was always as a dictator who tortured his own people, executed rivals, expelled Asians, and disrupted the Ugandan economy. But to some Ugandans he brought a sense of national pride and unity.  Part of the museum is outdoor where you can tour replicas of huts from western, eastern, northern, and central Uganda. There is also an outdoor exhibit of cars owned by former presidents, but I decided to skip that one.

We followed up the National Museum with another stop by Buganda Road and the National Theatre so I could complete my shopping list. My last stop of the day was at the Martyrs' Shrine, site of a minor basilica in the Roman Catholic Church. The 69 acre area was declared a holy site by Pope John Paul II. It has been visited by three popes over the years-- the only place in Africa to have such a distinction. The Martyrs were Christians who were killed between 1885- 1886 in truly horrific ways: decapitated, burned alive, drug on the ground, and bleeding out from amputated limbs. The youngest of the martyrs was only 14 years old. The Martyrs' Shrine is the site of an annual pilgrimage by Catholics.  Uganda celebrates the national holiday called Martyrs Day every year on June 3rd.
                                     
                         

                                   

                                          

On Sunday, I attended church with Diana. Christ Centered Ministry is a small local church, unlike the other two churches I've attended since I've been in the country. The population is small, as is the building, but the people have a praise and worship service unlike any I have attended before.   After church we walked the brief distance to Diana's home where I met her mother and two sons. Lunch was excellent-- the typical Uganda fare of rice, beans, English peas, matooke, binyebwa, greens, pumpkin, and sweet potato.